Street sirens will warn of city attack

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News of a terrorist attack in Sydney and instructions on how to
respond will be announced on the streets of the city centre through
a new public address network, the NSW Government's city evacuation
plan says.

A siren will sound first and the initial direction will be
whether to get off the streets, stay in place, or carry on as
usual.

In office towers an alert and instructions will be announced
through existing public address systems - but with directions
specific to each building.

Managers, security staff and chief fire wardens will have been
given those instructions by telephone, text, email and
facsimile.

On the City Circle rail network, escape routes from the
underground to the surface have been created. Safe places have been
cleared along the tunnels and electronic signs and extra telephones
are being installed.

The evacuation plan defines the city centre as the area bounded
by Sydney Harbour in the north, Eddie Avenue/Railway Square in the
south, Macquarie and Elizabeth streets to the east, and Darling
Harbour to the west.

The city centre has been divided into three precincts: city
north (King Street to the harbour), mid-city (Goulburn to King
streets), and city south (Railway Square to Goulburn Street).

If an evacuation order is issued, occupants will be told to
proceed to an external assembly area, as in a fire drill.

Workers will be told to go to one of three safety sites.

Occupants of buildings in the city north precinct will be
directed to the Botanic Gardens and Domain; those in mid-city to
Hyde Park; and those in city south to Darling Harbour.

Those who live, or are staying, in the city centre will be
directed from their units or hotels by building management to an
evacuation centre - not a Sydney safety site - and later, if
necessary, to temporary accommodation.

Schools and child-care centres that are directed to evacuate are
expected to look after children in their care for at least four
hours without assistance. They will be asked to explain to parents
how their children would be managed and cared for in an
evacuation.

Information announced on the public address system will also
appear on electronic signs, which are being installed in the
city.

Once at a safety site, further instructions will depend on what
damage terrorists cause. Anyone with specific urgent needs will be
asked to identify themselves.

Those gathered at a safety site may then be told to remain or
return to their building. They may also be directed to a specific
transport terminal for movement out of the city centre, but this
may not be by their normal mode of transport or route.

People will be asked not to independently organise relatives or
friends to pick them up from the city or wayside spot outside the
city centre.

The plan assumes most people will be moved out of the city by
rail, but buses, ferries and taxis could also be used.

Anyone injured in the attack would be taken for assessment at a
casualty station set up by the NSW Ambulance Service near the site
of the incident.

Eleven hospital emergency centres in Sydney and Newcastle have
the capacity to handle up to 450 critically injured people.

The walking wounded will also be taken to hospital away from the
city centre. These hospitals could handle up to 3000 less serious
casualties.

Further information is available on www.emergency.nsw.gov.au,
which will provide updates in the event of a terrorist attack.